Host an Event Volunteer Join Tickets

Support the plant database you love!

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member

Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Search Smarty Plants
See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

 
rate this answer
Not Yet Rated

Wednesday - March 24, 2010

From: Cranston, RI
Region: Northeast
Topic: Trees
Title: Need help identifying a tree with wintergreen-flavored bark that grew in my backyard during my youth in Cumberland, RI.
Answered by: Jimmy Mills

QUESTION:

Growing up in Cumberland, Rhode Island (a town in the northern part of the state) there was a tree in our backyard with thin, brown peel-able bark. The bark itself had white stripes. Under the layer of brown bark was a layer of green, wintergreen-flavored bark. Growing up we ate this dark green layer and chewed the light green sticks left behind after we had stripped the bark away. It was positioned in a fairly shady part of the yard between evergreens. Please tell me, what was this tree?

ANSWER:

Mr. Smarty Plants has found that it is difficult, if not impossible, to identify a plant from a written description, and usually asks the questioner to provide a picture of the plant in question. From the use of the past tense in your question, I surmise that a photo is not available.

However, your description provides an invaluable clue: wintergreen-flavored bark! With this information, I am going to conclude that the tree you used to eat was Sweet Birch Betula lenta (sweet birch).   In earlier times, these trees were the major source of wintergreen oil (methyl salicylate), but most of it is manufactured synthetically today.

This link from Purdue University provides information about the tree and its products.

The UConn Plant Database  has numerous images of the tree.

 

 

 

 

More Trees Questions

Recently planted live oak tree in Boerne, TX
February 07, 2009 - My brother planted a live oak in August. It was from a nursery and had a root ball. It looks dead but I keep watering it. The trunk is about 6 inches around. The leaves died but when the winds came th...
view the full question and answer

Is Black Cherry allelopathic from Austin
May 21, 2010 - Is the Black Cherry an appropriate tree to plant in north Austin as a shade tree? Your site says this tree may be allelopathic to garden plants . Do you know specifically which plants it might help o...
view the full question and answer

Replacement of Arizona ash in Austin
October 28, 2011 - We have two Arizona Ashes in our yard that probably have maybe a decade left in them. We want to get a couple new trees started, so they will be well established once the Ashes are near their end. In ...
view the full question and answer

Pruning Roughleaf dogwood
November 28, 2013 - We put 5 rough-leaf dogwoods along our side deck; having been told (by the local, natural plant seller) that they would reach a maximum height of 6 feet. They have grown taller than that (despite som...
view the full question and answer

Tag on oak tree in Buda, TX
April 02, 2008 - I found a large oak tree on my property with a tag that has a number on it. Any idea what that means?
view the full question and answer

Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today.